Qere Ketiv

And it came about, as soon as Moses approached the camp, that he saw the calf and the people dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.  Exodus 32:19  NASB Hands – Exodus 32:15,  a few verses earlier, reads, “Then Moses turned and…

The List

They did not remember His [w]power, the day when He redeemed them from the enemy,  Psalm 78:42  NASB Not remember – In the next ten verses Asaph lists all the mighty works that God did to redeem His people from Egypt.  You might notice that his list isn’t quite the same as the sequence of events in Exodus.  For…

Can Heaven Wait?

But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me. Selah  Psalm 49:15  NASB Receive – If the Tanakh really doesn’t have a clear concept of Heaven, then what can this verse mean?  Doesn’t it imply that there is redemption from Sheol?  Doesn’t it suggest that God “saves” us from the eternity…

In the Shadows

Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man, Psalm 71:4 NASB Rescue me – Rescue is a very practical experience. It isn’t to be found in the next world. There is little point in waiting to die so that you can…

Not Quite

“My beloved extended his hand through the opening, and my feelings were aroused for him.” Songs of Songs 5:4 NASB Through the opening – There’s a reason why Song of Songs is treated as allegory by both the Christian and Jewish worlds. That reason could be summarized in this verse; a verse that quite literally…

Hand in Hand

You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded…

Rocky Road

Teach me Your way, O YHWH, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Psalm 27:11 Smooth Path – The idea of a smooth path doesn’t seem to present any problems, does it? We know what smooth paths ought to be. Even if I translate the Hebrew beorach mishor as “straight path”…